source : Enerdat, 15.01.2016India plans
to re-open commercial coal mining to private companies India is considering opening up
commercial coal mining to private companies for the first time in four
decades, in an attempt to make the country, currently the third largest coal
importer worldwide, self-sufficient in terms of coal supplies. The government
has identified mines that could be auctioned and is finalising other terms
(eligibility criteria, etc.) for companies to take part to the auction. A
plan is expected to be ready at the end of the fiscal year (March 2016).
India aims to double coal production to 1.5 Gt/year by 2020, in order to
grant electricity to 300 million people, boost the manufacturing industry and
improve development in eastern regions. State-owned coal company Coal India
aims to produce 1 Gt/year by the end of this decade and the remaining 500
Mt/year could come from private producers. Under the current regulatory
framework, only Coal India and a small state-owned company are allowed to
mine and sell coal in India.